Hair washer and rinser



M. P. BOND 2l85'495 HAIR WASHER AND RINSER Jan. 2, 1940.

Filed July 8, 1938 37 37 WWI/U W Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hair washing and rinsing apparatus and it is the principal object of the invention to provide convenient means for directing a spray of water against the hair of the user.

It is another object of my present invention to provide an apparatus of the type specified including in its construction a flexible water shield which shall permit adjustment between the head of the user and the mechanism which provides the spray of liquid so that the force of the spray may be varied. I find it convenient in this feature of my invention to employ a shield of cylindrical form made of such material as rubber or water proof or oiled silk or similar flexible sheet material impervious to water.

It is another object of my invention to provide a container for the washing and rinsing liquids in which is located an impeller below the surface of the liquid and rotated to direct a stream of washing and rinsing fluids upwardly or toward the head of the user.

It is another object of my invention to mount some form of drive for the impeller, such as an electric motor, on the under side of the container and support the drive from the container so that the impeller, container, and drive for the impeller may be moved as a unit toward and from the head of the user. In this connection the motor shaft may extend through the bottom of the container and be provided with a water tight bearing. The support for the container and parts mounted thereon is preferably made adjustable for the purpose of locating the impeller at various vertical distances from the head of the user.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. l is a side elevation of my invention showing the same adjusted so that the force of the spray directed against the head of the user shall be relatively low, the lower part of the liquid container being in vertical section,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 on a reduced scale but'showing the liquid impeller relatively near the users head to increase the force of washing, the liquid shield being shown as accommodating itself to this position,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the middle part of the apparatus looking in the direction of the arrows 3, also showing the opening in the diaphragm superimposed thereon,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on on enlarged scale of the impeller,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the impeller shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the impeller.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus is provided with a stand S comprising a pedestal Ill having a hollow upright I l into which fits the stem ll of a support l3 extending horizontally from the stem l2. An adjusting screw It provides means for holding the support at different vertical distances above the pedestal It. The support is formed of two arcuate arms 15 and I6, respectively, see Fig. 23, secured in any approved manner to the stem l2. A fastener bolt l1 draws the ends it of the arcuate arms together to clamp tightly around a liquid container indicated generally at 20. By means of the screw l! the container may be held tightly in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The container comprises a conical shell having an upper circular rim 2| which is grooved as at 22 and having below the groove a short cylindrical portion 23 to be engaged by the arms I5 and Hi. The downwardly tapering walls 24 of the container lead to a floor 25 from which is suspended a motor M. Screws 35 are tapped into the floor 25 and also the motor M to secure the latter to the container.

A shaft 3| extends upwardly from the motor through a packed bearing 32 in the floor 25, the purpose of the packing therein being to prevent escape of liquid in the container. Secured to the upper end of the shaft (H is an impeller 35 having a cylindrical body 36 from which extend in the present instance two curved vanes 31 formed substantially as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. These vanes are so disposed that rotation in the proper direction will project upwardly any liquid L in the container above the impeller. The motor may be connected to a source of electric power by means of a cable 38 and controlled by means of a switch 39.

The groove 22 receives the lower periphery 40 of a flexible water tight shield Al which is held in place by an elastic, such as a rubber band 42. The shield M is made of rubber, or water proof or oiled silk and extends upwardly to be secured at 45, as by cementing or the like, to a ring 46 having an outwardly facing groove M. A diaphragm 59 made of sheet rubber has the edge thereof turned over the ring and is held in the groove 41 by means of an elastic 4B. The central part of the diaphragm 50 is provided with an opening 5| defined by a bead 52 surrounding the opening and sulficiently elastic to permit a water tight contact with the head of the user, indicated at 1-1. It is to be understood that the user will be seated so that the position of this head will be relatively fixed as to vertical position and the bead 52 will be adjusted so as to include within the space defined by the shield and the diaphragm that portion of the head which is to be washed.

In order to introduce liquid into the container I provide a pipe 651 having an inlet mouth BI corked at 62 which receives the washing, rinsing or tinting solution. This pipe extends through the conical wall 24 and the intake end Si is at an elevation above the top of the liquid in the container and therefore above the impeller blades 31. The impeller blades set up a circulation of the liquid in the container so that the solutions projected toward the head of the user are kept substantially uniform. For purposes of drainage I may also provide a drain pipe 65 having a valve 6% which may be opened when it is desired to change the washing solution in the container. The drain pipe fits into the bottom of the container as suggested in Fig. 1.

In operation, when a light spray of low force is desired, the apparatus will be substantially as shown in Fig. 1 with the impeller 35, the container 20, and the motor M forming a unit located in relatively low position so that the shield 4| will be extended. The switch 39 is then closed to cause rotation of the motor and the impeller 35 the effect of which is to direct the liquid L upwardly toward the diaphragm and the head of the user. as indicated by arrows a. The liquid so projected upwardly against the head of the user falls back into the container and is directed and confined in its descent toward the container by the shield 4| If it is desired to increase the force of the liquid which is projected upwardly by the impel ler the distance between the latter and the diaphragm 50 may be lessened by loosening the adjusting screw 14 .and raising the support 53 to the desired elevation, as indicated in Fig. 2. This adjustment can be made during continuous operation of the impeller and as the distance between the impeller and the head of the user is decreased the force of the liquid is increased. Throughout the range of adjustment the shield ll adjusts itself by reason of its inherent flexibility and directs the liquid downwardly to the container.

While I have shown the adjustment for relative vertical position of the impeller with respect to the head as accomplished by means of an adjustable stand, yet I do not wish to be limited to such a means for accomplishing this result, since the important part of this feature of my invention resides in the fact that the distance between the impeller and the user's head can be changed by reason of the flexible shield 3!. Although I have described the invention as usable for washing and rinsing, yet it may also be employed for supplying the hair with a tinting compound.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a hair washing and rinsing apparatus having a flexible shield which permits adjust ment of the distance between the head of the user and the impeller to permit a variation in force of the washing and rinsing fluid. It will also be seen that I have provided the container with an impeller located below the level of the liquid in the container and mount it so as to direct an upwardly projected stream of liquid. It will also be seen that the driving motor is mounted on the container and that the motor and the container, together with the impeller, constitute a unit supported by and adjustable with the stem l2. It will further be seen that separation of the arcuate arms l5 and i6 will permit ready removal of the container and that the elastics ll. and 48 permit removal of the shield from the container and the diaphragm from the ring 45, respectively.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the in-- shield and means to move the support to different positions relatively to the head of the user to vary the effect of the liquid projected toward the head by the impeller.

2. In a hair washer, a container for liquid, a

motor driven liquid impeller mounted in the container and located below the surface of the liquid, a flexible liquid shield secured to the container and extending upwardly therefrom to receive the head of the user, and a support for the container movable to a plurality of different positions relatively to the head of the user to vary the force of the liquid projected by the impeller against the head of the user, said shield adapting itself by reason of the flexibility thereof to the different distances between the impeller and the head of the user and effective in all positions of the impeller to prevent escape of the liquid.

3. In a hair washer, a liquid container, a support for the container movable to a plurality of vertical positions to locate the container at different vertical levels, an impeller supported by the container and in the liquid and acting to project the latter upwardly, a flexible liquid shield secured to and extending upwardly from the container and shaped to receive the head of the user, said flexible shield having the shape thereof deformed by reason of the flexibility thereof when the container is relatively near the head of the user and being effective in all positions of the container relatively to the head of the user to direct liquid back to the container.

4. In a hair washer, a rigid liquid container, a flexible liquid shield having water tight connection with the container and extending upwardly therefrom and shaped to receive the head of the user, a rotatable liquid impeller located in the container and acting to project liquid upwardly toward the head of the user, and an adjustable support for the container to vary the distance between the impellerand the head of the user, said flexible liquid shield being effective for all distances of the container from the head of the user to direct liquid back to the container.

5. In a hair washer, means to project liquid upwardly toward the head of the user, a flexible shield enclosing a space through which the liquid is projected, perforated means carried by the shield to receive the head of the user, a support for the liquid projecting means, and means to vary the distance between the perforated means and the support for the liquid projecting means to vary the force of the liquid against the head of the user, the shield capable by its flexibility to direct liquid back to the liquid projecting means for all setting of the latter relatively to the head of the user.

4 MYRA P. BOND. 

